Wireless Colonial Life

Good morning from Colonial Williamsburg, where everything is just the way it was in the 1770s, except for the hundreds of Virginia National Guardsmen in camouflage, the dozens of reporters crammed into a lovely colonial house jammed up against each other on the floor typing madly on laptops, the stretch limos crowded with high-roller political donors, the busloads of high school band musicians, the huge grandstand filled with Virginia's top corporate executives and lobbyists, and the new governor of Virginia and his staff of eager young assistants wielding Blackberrys and cell phones.

Tim Kaine will be inaugurated as Virginia's 70th governor in a little while and so far, the rain is holding off. Kaine comes into office in the enviable position of having a billion dollar surplus and in the wake of a departing Democratic governor whose popularity is up there in Reagan country.

Put your stereotypes away for the day--there are just as many limos, Rolls Royces and way too expensive shoes here as there would be were a Republican entering office.

Consensus from last night's Beach Boys concert at William and Mary Hall: Kaine can really play the harmonica. He sat in with a bluegrass band called No Speed Limit and the bar crowd gathered afterwards at the Williamsburg Inn credited the new governor with holding his own. As for the Beach Boys themselves, well, it's really the Beach Boy at this point--only Mike Love remains on the bandstand from the original group--and, um, let's put it this way: They play 150 dates a year. They are not exactly commanding Rolling Stones fees.

Here's the drill for today: People will wait for hours in the grandstand. Gov. Mark Warner will be seen briefly and then, by tradition, will vanish before his successor is sworn in. Kaine will speak. There will be a parade. Later, there will be a big party.

And then everyone will drive like insane maniacs to get home before kickoff of the Skins game. People do have their priorities.